The structure came into being for almost three decades during the cold war and was brought down in 1989. The physical act of crossing the Wall was a very dangerous and practically unlawful because the wall was reinforced and surrounded by barbed wire and check points. In this article there will be explanations of how people tried to overcome this great barrier; also, there will be presented information on the ways of escape and legendary cases. Please be advised that this content is for the purpose of information only and was prepared in the past.
1. Tunneling
Among all the techniques of crossing the Berlin Wall, tunneling was probably one of the most difficult and risky. Some escapees would burrow themselves trenches from West Berlin to East Berlin using basements or any other concealed places. They Tunnel construction was highly skillful to ensure that it could not be discovered easily and may take several months. The exit of the tunnel would not be obvious during the construction of the tunnel and there would be no extra available space.
However, tunneling was always a very dangerous affair because of thenumerous challenges the escapees were likely to encounter. There were risks of flooding, cave-ins as well as the possibility of the tunnels being discovered by the authorities. Nevertheless, certain people were able to secretly escape through such routes in the Berlin Wall located east of the Spree River.
2. Hot Air Balloons
A rather aggressive approach to escape East Germany was through the use of balloons in aerated hot air. The general public would make their own toys in the form of balloons and then fill them with gas so as to cross the Berlin Wall. This process could only work if a lot of planning and good timing was put into effect in order to execute the escape plan as planned.
As a result, one had to think of factors like wind direction and strength, weather condition, sighting by either the border guards or being detected by radar. Although the attempts at escaping in hot air balloons were not very common, people all over the world admired them as the chances for freedom beyond physical and political constraints.
3. Hiding in Vehicles
People tried to make their way through the Berlin Wall and some of them used cars in trying to achieve that. They would often hide in cars including compartments, under seats as well as the boot. However, this method was quite risky since the guards at the borders performed thorough frisking. It is however a fact that most people failed to cross the border but a few were very clever and lucky to sneak in.
4. Swimming and Boating
For people who were residing near water channels, swimming or using a rubber dinghy was a way out of East Germany. Most of the escape attempts can be attributed to the River Spree that passed through Berlin. Crossing the river posed many challenges with swimmers facing mighty waves and possibility of being detained by guards along the river’s walls. This method is somewhat effective for those who wished to escape as catching escapees in the water was not easy at all.
5. Through Checkpoints
Although it appears illogical since the area was well surrounded by a wall, there were some loopholes which were liberally exploited to sneak across different stations. They would disguise themselves as tourists from the West or diplomats where they would use forged documents, rubber caps, or divert the attention of the guards to cross legal boundaries.
Some of them disguised themselves as tourists or diplomatic cars to enhance the chances of slipping through the numerous groups of people passing through the checkpoints. To cross through these checkpoints was achieved through careful planning, nerve and some measure of luck.
Conclusion
People were brave while attempting to Cross the wall together with their creativity and innovation. The processes highlighted in this article should not be practiced or advocated by the society as they are practices recorded in the past. Currently, after the changes that occurred in Germany and the reunification of the country, the Berlin Wall is an outpost that signifies both the hatred of thepast and the victory of ust by east and west Berlin citizens for their freedom.
Thus, experience must be used to pave the path to creating a more tolerant society with no division and divisions, with bridges instead of walls.
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